Stupid Questions 101: What the !@#$%$^& ?!?!

Next in line on our Stupid Question Primer, is “What?”.

While the most popular use of this word - “What the @#$#^% ?!?”; can be very effective in certain circumstances, today we'll be looking at some of the less dramatic uses of this question.

“What?” can help clarify your thinking, narrow your focus or streamline your operations. “What?” is useful in all sorts of situations.

“What are we trying to accomplish?” or “What are you working on?” Your people should understand what they're working on and why. The first time you ask one of these questions, you might be surprised at how many people in your organization don't really have a formal assignment. Forcing yourself to answer this question before you assign work, will help you eliminate truly useless tasks...and help your people understand where you're heading.

“What needs to be done?” Be proactive. Getting your people to look beyond their own jobs, to see things beyond their own desks that need to be done goes a long way to killing the “not my job” attitude that besets too many companies as they grow.

“What do you need?” simply asking the question places an obligation on us to help out. To work to get those asked the things they need. Sometimes we won't be able to meet their needs, but we may be able to point them to someone who can. And sometimes, this simple act of asking the question with genuine concern will make all the difference in the world.

“What can we do without?” In these tough economic times, it's one of the most commonly asked questions. The trick is to carry this thinking with us into the good times. To keep looking at our organization, our operations, and our own habits to cut the fat and keep the business in “fighting trim”.

“What's worked for our competitors?” There are always things you can learn from them...even if it's only what not to do. Being able to see the good in your competitor can help you improve many aspects of your own business; from sales to operations to planning.

“What went wrong? What do we do to make sure it doesn't happen again?” notice we're not asking “Who's fault is it?” in this question. The goal is to get to identify the causes of the problem(s) and fix them, not to find the perpetrator and hang them. Of course, in the case of sabotage or gross negligence, finding the guilty party might not only be appropriate, but critical to preventing similar incidents in the future.

“What don't we know? What did I do wrong?” or “What needs to change?” Are all higher level questions I tend to only hear from customers who are comfortable enough with themselves and their organizations to change themselves when necessary. These companies understand that nobody is perfect and that the best way to handle bad news is taking it head on and dealing with it as it comes.

Leaving these questions unasked (or asked but unanswered) can kill your business.

All too often, though, we let fear; bad habits, complacency and internal politics stop us from pursuing the answer to this critical question. Take the time to ask the “What?” questions. I suspect that in the long run you'll be glad you did.

____________________________

Need help figuring out what to do? Ask for help! Either leave a comment here or e-mail me at: TomFawls@Council4SmallBiz.com.